Knitting toy



Nov. 26, 1940. STEINHARDTI KNITTING TOY Filed April 27, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

IRVING STEINHARD'I W A M L44. I HIS ATTORNEY.

Nov. 26, 1940. l. STEINHARDT 2,222,992

KNITTING TOY Filed April 27, 193s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ST El N HAR DT ,jmm

. IRVlNG BY J H I S ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 26, 1940 or ies 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a toy knitting device adapted to produce a continuous tubular fabric, and more particularly to improved and simplified structure for such devices.

More particularly, the present invention offers many advantages, resulting from the highly simplified arrangement of the moving parts, and the reduction in the number of such parts, together with improved construction of many of the individual members, permitting their production in quantity at reduced. cost.

An object of this invention is to provide a knitting machine of unitary construction, in which the moving parts are substantially enclosed, affording them protection against mechanical injury, and protecting operators of such devices.

A further object of this invention is to provide a toy knitting device for tubular fabrics which can be readily fabricated from parts produced by machine tools of the automatic, or semiautomatic type. 1

A further object is to provide a device having 25 moving needles of improved and simplified construction. 1 v

A further object is to provide simplifiedmeans for maintaining the correct thread tension during operation of the machine.

30 For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of this invention, reference is had to the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: v

Fig. 1 represents the front elevation of the device, partly in section.

Fig. 2 represents the front elevation of the upper portion of the stationary case, partly in section.

Fig. 3 shows the lower portion of the stationary case in elevation, partly in section.

Fig. 4 shows the revolving needle holder, partly broken away to show the wall structure.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a latch needle used in this device.

Fig. 6 represents the simplified thread tension regulating member and feed.

Fig. 7 represents a plan view of the revolving needle holder.

Fig. 8 represents a front elevation of a modification of the device, partly in section.

Fig. 9 shows a stationary cam member in perspective, embodied in the modified construction.

Fig. 10 represents the casing for the modified construction, viewed in perspective.

"Fig. 11 shows a plan sectional view "of Fig. 8, taken through ll-"ll of Fig. 8. Fig. 12 shows the upper portion of the modified construction-in perspective, showing the knitting arrangement.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the thread i enters the machine at the tension member 2, and is passed through the loops and convolutions of member 2, establishing a frictional efiect of retardation. The thread I then passes through the needles 3 and emerges as finished fabric 4 from the bottom of the device.

A weight 5 is provided with a hooked member 6, which is passed through the fabric 4. The weight 5 is hollow, being provided with a hole I, through which the fabric 4 is passed, thus effecting a greater degree of stability with respect to the portion of hook 6 and permitting the center of gravity of the weight substantially in the central axis of the fabric 4.

The stationary housing of the device consists of an upper portion 8 and a lower portion 9, secured together in any desired manner, preferably by frictional engagement. Within the housing is the rotating needle holder l0, provided at its lower end with a bevel gear I l. Bevel gear H engages another bevel gear !2 secured to the shaft of crank I3. Crank I3 is maintained in position by collar i4, and passes through hole E5 in casemember 9/ Thus rotation of crank 13 will cause rotation of needle holder In about its central axis. a Needle holder H] is provided with a longitudinal hole 56, extending throughout its length. The goods 4 pass through the hole It, subject to the tension of weight 5 at the bottom of the device and the supporting act of needles '3 at the top of needle'holder Ill. The holder I0 is provided with vertical fins ll. Each fin is 'pro- ,1

vided with grooves l8 adapted to receive needles 3, and to permit-vertical travel of the needles. Holder I0 is held in correct vertical position by engagement of ledge 38 in case portion 9 with the lower projecting portions 39 of fins H. The upper ends of fins. l7 engage the ledge 40 of upper case member 8.

Referring to Fig. 5, needle 3 is provided.with a hooked portion I9 at its upper end adapted to receive thread i, and to engage latch 29, piv- .otally mounted below W at 2!. At the lower end of needle 3 is shoulder 22, and. a bent portion shaped to provide upper and lower camming surfaces 23 and 24, respectively.

The lower part of case member 8 is enlarged.

5 to belocated.

to fit over the projecting portion 21 of lower case member 9. The recessed portion is shaped to provide an upper camming surface 25, substantially equidistant throughout its length from the lower camming surface 26 formed by the upper end of projection 21. Thus when parts 8 and 9 are assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, there is a lateral groove formed by the space between surfaces 25 and 26, and adapted to receive and engage camming surfaces 23 and 24 of needles 3. The camming groove formed by 25 and 26 is shaped to raise the needles as they reach the left side of the case and to lower them as they proceed toward the right side during revolution of holder I by crank I3.

As crank I3 is rotated in a clockwise direction, it will cause counter-clockwise rotation of needle holder III, as viewed in Fig. 7. Referring to Fig. 1, this will cause the needles'to rise as they pass from right to left at the rear of the figure, and to descend as they return from left to right near the observer. As a needle rises, it emerges from the loop formed by the thread it has just drawn down, and the latch 20 swings down under the influence of its own weight and the acceierational forces of the rising needle. In the event the latch 20 should not drop, the loop formed around that needle will cause the latch to drop as the needle rises. This prepares the hooked portion I9 to pass above the thread I, preparatory to engage- I ment of the thread. At the upper limit of its travel, the needle has passed above the thread and has engaged thread I in hook I9, as shown in Fig. 1. As the needle proceeds, cam surface 25 acts on needle surface 23 forcing the needle downward into member Ill, as needle3 slides in its groove I8. As the needle 3 moves downwardly, latch 20 is closed by the preceding loop of thread, so that the needle is drawn through the loop, and engagement with the hook is is prevented by closure of latch 20. The needle 3 moves still lower, so that support for the proceeding loop is withdrawn, and the loop, under the influence of weight 5, is drawn inwardly toward the center of needle holder II! and passesover the upper surface of hook I9. Needle 3 is now ready to open latch 20 as it rises to engage thread I, to form a new loop as previously described.

The action of each needle is similar to that just described; the needles rotating about the periphery of the case, and rising and falling as they proceed. As each needle reaches the left of the machine, it is substantially in its uppermost position, and as it reaches the right, it is substantially in its lowermost position.

The correct thread tension is maintained by the action of member 2 which is formed from a resilient wire. It will be noted that when the member is vertical, the thread I passes through the loops and convolutions of member 2, engaging a certain portion of its length in frictional contact. As the tension in the thread is increased, its upper end is urged to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, and the entire member is deformed from its original shape. This deformation tends to cause the plane of wire to become generally curved, so that the path of thread I becomes more nearly a straight line passing directly from loop 28 to loop 21 of member 2, and decreasing the length of thread I in engagement with straight portions 29 of theconvolutions. effect of decreasing the total frictional resistance which member 2 offers to the passage of thread I, so that the tension is thereby relieved. In addition .to the curving of the pianeof member 2,

This has the there is a torsional effect upon curved portions 30, tending to disturb the normal coplanar relationship of straight portions 29, and still further relieve the tension on thread I.

It will be noted from Fig. 1, that as the knitting action proceeds, the finished goods 4 rotates with the needle holder I0, and that the use of a centrally balanced weight such as 5, is essential to prevent the weight from swinging in a wide circle under the centrifugal action of rotation.

Referring to Fig. 8, needle holder III has a ring 3| supported by engagement with upper cover 33 of the casing and notches 36 of case 35. Upward movement of holder I0 is prevented by engagement of the upper ends of fins I! with the lower 5 surface of cover 33.

Fig. 9 shows an enlarged perspective view of the stationary cam member 3I. Cam 3I comprises an upper camming surface 32 supported by legs 39 having lugs 34 at their lower extremities.

Referring to Fig. 10, the cylindrical face 35 is provided with notches 36, the lower pair of notches being adapted to engage projections 34 of cam member 3|. Another cam member 3| is mounted in inverted position, its lugs 34 engaging the upper pair of notches 36 of case 35. A ringshaped piece 31 rests in lower end cap 38 and is screwed by threads on case 35 to hold the lower cam in position by forcing ring 31 against its projections 34 and holding them securely in the 1 lower notches 36 in case 35. Similarly, the upper cam 3| is inserted in the top of case 35, in inverted position, with its projections 34 forced down into the upper notches 36 by the action of threaded cap 33 at the top of the case.

It is to be noted that the cam surface 32 is not in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the case 35, but is shaped to form the cam surfaces required to move the needles 3 up and down as 0 needle holder I0 revolves. The cam surface is further so constructed that two such members 3I, may in some instances be identical, the upper and lower camming surfaces Ming substantially parallel throughout their lengths ilar pieces are assembled in the top and bottom of case 35. In this instance, the. shape must be symmetrical, to provide for this juxtaposition, and the length of legs 39 must provide for the necessary space between two members so assembled, in order that the cam groove will be formed by the space between their respective end surfaces 32.

There are numerous modifications, and departures from the exact arrangement shown, 55 which may be made without departing from the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a device for knitting a tubular fabric, a

case having upper and lower portions, a ledge recessed in said upper portion above the lower edge thereof, a projection extending from said lower portion into said upper portion above said lower edge thereof, the lower edge of said ledge and the upper edge of said projection cooperating to form a camming groove inside said case, and needles extending longitudinally of said upper and lower portions of the case and shaped with projections adapted to engage said groove. 2. In a device for knitting tubular fabrics, a cylindrical case and substantially identical cam members inserted from opposite ends of said case and shaped to form a camming groove intermediate their adjacent end surfaces. v

3. A device for knitting tubular fabrics comwhen two sim- 5 prising a substantially cylindrical case, needles moved within said case with their axes substantially parallel to and equidistant from the axis of said case, an upper stationary member shaped to urge said needles downwardly, a lower stationary member shaped to urge said needles upward, and means at the opposite ends of said case for securing said members in position.

4. In a device for knitting tubular fabrics, in combination, a cylinder having grooves in the opposite ends thereof, a needle capable of longitudinal movement, a projection on said needle,

a lower stationary portion of said device having parts engaging said cylinder in the grooves at one end of the cylinder, an upper stationary portion of said device having parts engaging said cylinder in the grooves at the other end thereof, adjacent end surfaces of said upper and said lower portions being shaped to provide a camming groove engaging said projections of said needles, and means for rotating said needle about an axis substantially paralled to its length.

5. A toy knitting device comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to be carried in the palm of the hand, and having a perforation in the lower end thereof; a crank extending through the perforation; a gear mounted on the end of the crank within said casing; a needle holder rot-atably supported within said casing; a gear fixed at the lower edge of said needle holder for cooperation with the crank gear; needles carried by said needle holder having projections extending therefrom; a camming groove within said casing for actuating the projections on the needles, whereby said crank may be operated by one hand while said casing is supported by the other hand for rotating said needles.

6. A toy knitting device comprising a casing adapted to be carried in the hand of the operator, a needle holder mounted for rotation in said casing, said needle holder having .a plurality of circumferentially spacedlongitudinal grooves, needles mounted for sliding movement in said grooves, a shaft mounted at the lower end of said casing and extending transversely thereof, a gear secured on said shaft within said casing, a gear carried by the lower end of said needle holder within the casing and engaged by said first mentioned gear for rotating said needle holder, a camming groove in said casing in which parts of said needles project for moving said needles longitudinally of the needle holder grooves when the needle holder is rotated and the casing is held against rotation by the hand of the operator, and manually operable means on the shaft externally of the casing for rotating said shaft.

IRVING STEINHARDT. 

